1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a tool holder for a grinding machine and, more particularly, to a tool holder for a grinding machine, where the tool holder includes a tapered slot having opposing stop elements positioned within the slot and where circular elements on the tool are positioned within the slot at either side of the opposing stop elements and are held in the slot by the tapered shape.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Large industrial grinding machines are sometimes used to grind and polish various surfaces, such as marble floors. These industrial grinding machines typically include one or more grinding heads rotatably mounted to an underside of a platform of the machine, where grinding tools are mounted to the grinding heads. A grinding machine for grinding and polishing a marble floor may include six, twelve, eighteen or twenty-four tools, where three separate tools are mounted to each grinding head.
Various tool types are used to grind and polish a marble floor and may have different structural configurations and different abrasive materials, such as diamond particles. Different grinding heads may support different tool types, where the grinding head must be removed from the platform and replaced with another grinding head to change the tool type. Therefore, when the machine operator wishes to switch from one tool type to another to another tool type, such as from a metal bonded tool to a resin bonded tool, to perform a certain grinding or polishing operation, the machine operator must remove each grinding head from the machine and replace it with other grinding heads that include the desired tools. This process is costly and time consuming. It would be desirable to provide a tool holder for the grinding machine for all tool types that are more easily replaced in a grinding machine.